Recording mechanism



. Feb; 11, 1936. J. B. STRAUSS RECORDING MECHANISM Filed Oct. 23, 1933 FIG. 1

w & vw 5 H m M NIRL Eol fl WC A I a V: B &% Q M 4 B 5 4 2 J 1: 5 M A Mm 0 G 7 I v F. am 2 5 a Q Patented Feb. 11, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Joseph B. Strauss, San Francisco, Calif. Application October 23, 1933, Serial No. 694,735

3 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in a recording device, and has particular reference to a device for use with weighing apparatus.

The principal object of the invention is to produce a device which will set up data to be seen and/or recorded in accordance with the position of the pointer of an indicating instru ment such as a pressure gage.

A further object is to provide means whereby the setting up mechanism may be remotely located with respect to the indicating instrument.

Another object is to provide means whereby the data may be taken from the indicating instrument without interfering in any way with the free and normal movement of the pointer.

until the instant of taking the data.

A still further object is to produce a mechanism wherein the parts do not have to be re-set after each recording.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

Fig. l is a side elevation of my device, a portion thereof being shown in cross section,

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary cross sectional view of an indicating pointer and the contacts therefor, Fig. 3 is a fragmentary front elevation of i Fig. 4 is an end elevation of Fig. 1, looking from the left of the drawing and having the supporting bearing removed, and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view on an enlarged scale taken on the line 55 of Fig. 2. It is frequently desirable to automatically collect the readings indicated by the pointer of an instrument which pointer is actuated by dellcate forces and therefore construction of these instruments is such that the slightest interference with thefree movement of the indicator will result in an incorrect reading. For this reason these indicators are usually very carefully balanced, and their free motion unrestrained oxceptfor the microscopic friction of their own Also, their weight and consequent inertia must be kept at a minimum in order that they will quickly rotate to the proper reading corresponding to the force applied to the instrument, and will become steady at that reading without I undue time lost in oscillation. Therefore, any device which is to quickly and accurately collect the data from one of these instruments for the purpose of re-indicating or recording it at a remote point as in the case herein described and claimed, must be so designed that it will not hamper the natural rotation of the pointer either by a sliding contact thereto or otherwise, and

also will not materially increase the weight thereof. In my invention, I have accomplished these objectives by the means herein described.

In the accompanying drawing wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred em- 5 bodiment of my invention, the numeral 5 designates a frame upon which is mounted a motor 6. This motor drives a shaft 1 at one end of which is a clutch member ll, which is actuated by an electro-magnet 9. Thus clutch 3 carries a lo stub shaft ll having a worm I2 which engages a gear l3 rotatably positioned on the frame 5. A spring l4 surrounds the shaft II and is so arranged as to normally tend to separate the two sections of the clutch 8. The gear i3 carries a cam l6 which is normally held in a fixed relative position with respect to the gear by a spring I! and is contacted by a switch lever I5 capable of operating a switch III. This cam carries a lug l8 which is adapted to contact a push rod l9 pivoted as at to an operating lever 2i, pivoted as at 22. A spring 23 normally holds the operating lever in the position of Fig. 1, while a spring 24 tends to hold the push rod i9 in its normal position against the exterior periphery of 25 the cylindrical cam 25 which is fixed to the gear l3. A cam 26 is also secured to the gear l3 and contacts a roller 21 secured to the link 28, which is in turn pivoted to the rocker arm 29, the opposite end of which rocker arm carries a 'rod 30 3| havinga platen 32, the purpose of which will be later seen. Supported upon the frame I is a shaft 33 which carries a series of concentric shafts 34 and 36. The shaft 33 also carries a stopringlll andatypedrum38. 'I'hesearepo- 35 sitioned at opposite ends of the shaft. Also freely rotatable on the shaft 33 is a gear 39 which meshes with a gear 4| secured to the shaft 1.

Mounted upon the shaft 34 is a stop ring 42 and a type drum 43. Mounted upon the shaft 36 is a stop ring 44 and a type drum 46. Also mounted upon the shaft 36 is a. gear 41, the same being freely rotatable on the shaft. This gear meshes with a gear 48 mounted upon the shaft 1. It will be noted that the stop rings 31, 42 and 44 are each provided with a plurality of spring fingers 49, which press against and make a frictional contact with the sides of the, gears 39 or 41, as the case may be. Surrounding each of the stop rings is a latch ring 5|. As each of 50 these latch rings are identical, with the exception of the number of latches and solenoids that they carry, but one will be described.

Referring now to Fig. 4, it will be noted that the latch ring 5| has secured to its periphery a plurality of solenoids 52, each of which is capable of operating a latch 53. A spring 54 (see Fig. i) normally holds the latch in a receded position as indicated in dotted lines at A, Fig. 4, the advanced position being shown at B, Fig.

, said shaft endwise against the tension of a spring 56. This pointer carries a series of contacts 6| and 62 and 65, which are capable of engaging contacts 64, 65 and 66, respectively. The pointer also carries a contact 61 which engages a ring 66 which ring is a common lead for all the circuits established. The contacts 64 are electrically connected to the solenoids 52 of one of the rings 5|. The contacts 65 are electrically connected to the solenoids 52 of another of the rings 5| and the contacts 66 are electrically connected to the solenoids of the remaining ring 5|, these electrical connections being arranged as follows: the contacts 64 are arranged in groups (see Fig. 3) between the points C and D, serially corresponding contacts in these groups being interconnected by a common lead, each of the common leads in turn being connected to an aforementioned solenoid, and the adjacent contact 65 spans the group as indicated at E. In a like manner the contacts 65 are arranged in electrically interconnected groups, the interconnecting conductors being in turn connected to a solenoid as before mentioned, and the adjacent contact 66 spanning this group. A visual scale is shown at 65.

Referring now to Fig. 5 it will be noted that a sharp point 1| is positioned between each of the contacts 65 and that the pointer 56 has a point I2, the purpose of which is to engage the point II when the pointer is moved so that there can be no possibility of the pointer contacts bridging the contacts 65. In other words when the pointer moves toward the contacts,

and should be at a point between two of the contacts 65, the engagement of the two point II and 12 will force the pointer to one side or the other as. indicated in dotted lines of Fig. 5.

To accomplish this I provide 10 latches on the ring 5| to the left of the drawing, 10 latches on the center ring 5|, and three latches on the ring 5| to the right of the drawing. The first 10 latches are connected to ten common leads which connect to corresponding contacts 64 in each of the CD group. The next 10 latches on I. the center ring are each connected to common leads whichin turn connect to certain corresponding contacts 65. The last three latches on the ring 5| to tire right of the drawing are electrically connected to the two contacts 66 and to a stop pin (not shown) at the 200 unit point on the dial.

The operation of my device is as follows:

Assuming that a force moves the indicator, the pointer 56 will move to some position and will overlie certain contacts. The operator then presses the operating lever 2|, and raises the cam l6 which causes the. lever l5 to actuate the switch ll. This conducts the electric current in the main line, to the magnetic clutch 9 to the motor 6 and to the solenoid 58. Immediately the shaft 51 and the pointer 56 are moved so that the vcontacts u 51, 53 engage certain of the contacts 64, and 66 respectively. Immediately the soleacids 52. in each of the rings 5| which are connected to the contacts 64, 65 and 66 which have been contacted by 6|, 62 and 63, become energized and displace their respective latches to the position B, Fig. 4 or into alignment with a lug 13 formed upon the stop ring (anyone of the stop rings 44, "or 31 may be here referred to). In the meantime the motor 6 has been rotatingthe gears 39 and 41 which will rotate the shafts 33, 34 and 36 together with their stop rings and the shafts will continue to rotate until the stop rings engage the depressed latches. The gear l3 will continue to rotate and, by this time, cause the cam 26 to actuate the push rod 28, rocker arm 29, rod 3| and platen 32 so as to cause the tapes 14 to be impressed against the indicia formed upon the type drums 36, 43 am 46. It will also be noted here that other cams or gears, or combinations thereof (not shown) may be fixed to the gear l3 and made to perform desired operations such as manipulating the tapes 14. Continued rotation of the wheel i3 will cause the lug IS on the cam l6 to engage the surface 4 of the push rod l9 and force the latter awayfrom the periphery of the cylindrical cam 25 against the restraint of the spring 24 thus allowing the lug I6 to pass the push rod l9, and the cam l6 to again engage the lever l5, which will break the electrical circuit at the switch l0 and will immediately stop the apparatus.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:-

1. In a device of the character described, a plurality of concentric shafts, a type drum mounted on each of said shafts, means for rotating said shafts, means for stopping the rotation of each of said shafts at pre-determined points, said means comprising a group of radially positioned solenoids for each of said shafts, a latch actuated by each of said solenoids, each of said solenoids being electrically connected to remotely positioned contacts capable of being energized through the engagement of contacts moving into engagement therewith, and a master switch for conducting current to saidcdntacts and to said motor.

2. In a device of the character described, a plurality of concentric shafts, a type drum mounted on each of said shafts, means for rotating said shafts, means for stopping the rotation of each of said shafts at pre-determined points, said means comprising a group of radially positioned solenoids for each of said shafts, a latch actuated by each of said solenoids, each of said solenoids being electrically connected to remotely positioned contacts capable of being energized means comprising radially positioned latches,

and remote controlled means for actuating said latches.

JOSEPH B. STRAUSS. 

